smoke and mirrors
by AnaCallisto
Summary: The only sound that can be heard besides gentle snores, is his own breathing. It sounds foreign to him somehow. Strained. A series of Renji and Yoruichi drabbles.
1. Chapter 1

This is a response to a challenge that was thrown down. I made no money and I don't even own the shoes that I'm wearin' 'cause my mom bought 'em.

He crossed his arms over his chest, back pressed into the bricks of an old building, and his head bowed. He hated days like this, when it was cloudy and he had nothing that needed taking care of. It always gave him to much time to think. If he were to be totally honest with himself, then he would admit that it wasn't her fault people were talking about him behind closed doors. They made him angry. In fact, he was downright pissed. But it ran deeper than that. Sometimes it made him sick, self-doubt and loathing rolling around in the pit of his stomach until it climbed into the back of his throat to settle. It burned, like warm sake, leaving him feeling empty and a bitter taste in his mouth. There were times when he wondered if she knew what they were saying.

'What could she possibly see in the stray dog of the Seireitei?'

'Does he really think he has a chance with her? How pathetic.'

There were others, of course, but the more he thought about it, the more resentful he became towards her. It was a mystery to him as well. What was it about him that kept her by his side? Why would she want to spend her time with a tattooed freak like him, when there were so many others to choose from? He'd asked her that once.

_A black cat lay on the floor of Urahara's shop, eyes closed in obvious bliss while its sleek, muscular tail waved back and forth with lazy abandon._ _"Oi woman, don't you have somewhere more important to be?" He sat across from it, resisting the urge to reach out and stroke her shimmering fur coat._

_The tail hesitated, unable to decide whether it should fall back to the left, or continue on to the right._

_He arched a heavily tattooed eyebrow. Being ignored by her wasn't much of a surprise, but he still had expected at least a snort. "Didn't you hear me, wench? I asked if you had somewhere else to be?"_

_Her ears flicked in response before she lifted her head to stare at him, her head tilted to the side._

_Renji couldn't help but smirk. Only Yoruichi could pull off a look of pure annoyance while wearing the appearance of a feline. "What's the matter? Does the kitty need a nap?"_

_She sat on her hind legs, pale colored eyes narrowed as she studied his unnaturally serious form. His eyes were down cast, almost as though he was afraid to look at her. His fists lay in his lap, clenched so hard that the knuckles were turning white. _

_He jumped when she curled up in his lap, her velvet- like paws pressing firmly against his chest. "Yes, I do have somewhere I should be, but it can wait for now."_

Tilting his head back, Renji blew out a sigh. She was comfortable with him for now. The only question left was, how long would it be before he lost her?

So. did we like it? hate it? undecided? either way, drop me a review so i know whether or not i should contiue with this little idea of mine.


	2. Chapter 2

It had started out as a simple, friendly, get together. Kisuke had taken it upon himself to gather everyone, and even made arrangements for the snacks provided. Everything had gone well until Renji, with his arms crossed over his chest, and his tattooed eyebrows arching up toward his hairline, had smirked at her from over the counter. "I'd drink somebody like you under the table. In my sleep."

All other movement in the store ground to a halt and eleven pairs of eyes turned in their direction, fearful of what might happen next.

Ichigo had held his breath, head turning from side to side as he watched them stare one another down.

Rukia made a small noise, which sounded suspiciously like a snort, and kept her gaze trained on her half finished ice cream cone.

Chad had frowned.

Rangiku and Hitsugaya shared a groan of despair.

Kisuke had gulped, before scratching at his chin, almost hesitant in his stepping forward. "Now, now. I'm sure you really don't mean that, Renji."

All others took cover.

Her reply to his challenge had been simple. Two glasses and a rather oddly shaped, green, bottle clinked against the plastic countertop, and then she'd shot him a dangerously sweet smile. "Care to try, Ren- kun?"

And so now they sat in front of one another, Yoruichi leaning against the side of the wall with an almost bored expression creeping along her features, and her opponent slumped, non-to gracefully, on the counter. The others had long since dispersed, tired of the loud mouthed soul reaper's attempt to salvage what was left of his pride, but thankful for the small store still being intact.

"Youshoudquitnow, woman." His head lolled to one side as he stared up at her, still clinging to his glass. "Beforeyou"…hick… "Hurtyoursef."

The corners of her mouth twitched upwards, and Yoruichi ran her fingers through his strikingly bright hair. "Perhaps, luv, you've had a bit much." She pulled the porcelain cup from his grasp, and traced the fingers of her other hand against his jaw line.

He shivered as her hand continued its trail, going just below the collar of his light blue t-shirt before pulling back. "Damned"… hick… "Woman".

Just as his eyes fluttered shut, she pressed her lips to his forehead. "I love you too."

Kisuke stood in the doorway, watching the pair with ill concealed confusion. He'd probably never understand what it was the pulled them together.


	3. Chapter 3

This is really short, man. Like a super short kinda thing. It's from Renji's point of view on things, but not a first person POV. Without any further introductions and explanations…. Here's the story!

If he sat down for a minute and thought about it, Renji could count his reasons for lusting after her on one hand. First off, she was undeniably beautiful, with a body that made him lick his lips long after she'd passed him by and invaded his dreams at all hours of the night. Second, she could out drink him in the blink of an eye, no matter what choice of alcohol was placed between them (though he'd never admit it out loud).

But if he really concentrated, tattooed brows furrowed deep in the center of his forehead, and lips twisted into a frown, then he could come up with a list that ran for miles and miles about why he loved her. She was a Goddess, never failing to steal the air from his lungs whenever she made her presence known. When she looked at him, her eyes were like liquid gold, melting away at his resolve with the intensity of a flame to butter. Her touch was electricity in its rawest form, cutting through his skin to bury itself in the nerves that lye beneath, making him shiver until the earlier hours of morning. Her scent was sweet, a heady smell that scent him head over heels whenever she brushed against him, whether intentional or not.

There were hundreds of reasons, some big and others almost insignificant. None of them worth mentioning though. She wasn't the type of woman who needed to be paraded around like some sort of a trophy. She wasn't meant to be a dressing on his arm, or another notch for his bedpost. Not her. She wasn't made to be his toy, or be his conquest. Never her. Yoruichi Shihouin was made to be one thing and one thing only. His lover.

Like I said, short. Drop me a line, regardless of whether you enjoyed it or not. Next up should be the companion piece to this one…


	4. Chapter 4

Today's music really depresses me. Country's horrible, Pop's annoying, Rap is retarded… the only things worth listening to any more seems to be R&B and Jazz. So I decided that this piece would be kind of like a musical tribute to one of the best Jazz singers ever, Miss Sade. Enjoy.

Chapter 4: Rhythmatic Sacrilege

If there was one thing Yoruichi enjoyed about the modern world, it was music. Maybe it was the rhythm, the way it worked into her body until she found the center of a dance floor. Or perhaps it was the lyrics, how they fell along a track like silk trailed around her body. Yes, that was it. Both of them. Something about how the rhythm and words collided, melting into a being that called to her. This particular song, though she had no idea what its name was, pulled at her heart.

_You came along, when I needed, a savior_

_Someone to pull me through, somehow_

_I've been torn apart so many times_

_I've been hurt so many times before_

And it hit her. Why this song deemed itself worthy of making her fingers tap them selves against the surface of a wooden table. Why it had the ability to paint a picture in her head clear as the sky.

_Somebody already broke my heart,_

_Somebody already broke my heart_

Suitors. She'd had so many of them. Most of their names weren't even worth mentioning now. But there had been one. One who she had loved with everything that she was. And as a princess, that had been quite a lot.

_Here, I am_

_So, don't, leave me stranded_

_On the end of a line_

_Hanging on the edge of a lie_

And he had been the one who broke her. Turned her into a shell of the woman she had been.

_I've been torn apart so many times_

_I've been hurt so many times before,_

_So be, careful and, be kind_

For the longest time, her lungs had hurt. Almost to a point where she never wanted to breathe again. Her chest had ached, forcing tears into her eyes and her knees to the ground. All these things and more, she had hidden from her friends, though she suspected Urahara knew. That damned man knew everything.

_Somebody already broke my heart,_

_If someone has to lose, I don't want to play_

_Somebody_ _already broke my heart_

_Can't go there again_

"You like this stuff?" The man across from her had arched an eyebrow, waving a hand through the smoke filled air. "This, music?"

_You came along, when I needed, a savior_

_Someone to pull me through somehow_

_I've been torn apart so many time_

_I've been hurt so many times before,_

Yoruichi Shihouin, broken by a man, not once, but twice. _Well, wonders never cease; _the thought brought a smile to her lips. "Yes. It's very… soothing." She stirred a straw through her half finished drink.

_Somebody already broke my heart,_

_If someone has to lose, then I don't want to play_

_Somebody already broke my heart_

_Oh no, I can't go there again…_

She swore it would never happen again. No man would ever get so close to her heart. And here he had come. The loud-mouthed, red-haired, tattooed idiot who managed to do what even Kisuke couldn't. Put a bandage around her pain-filled lungs and massaged her throbbing chest.

He shook his head, arms wrapped over his chest. "Sounds depressing."

And then she smiled at his, golden eyes narrowed in warmth. "But it holds so much truth."

Okay, chapter 4 is done. (Takes a bow and then claps for Sade.) This piece would not have been possible without this song. For the true impact of its validity, I recommend you hear this. It's called 'somebody already broke my heart' and can be found online. God bless.


	5. Chapter 5

I was told that I might confuse readers 'cause my author's notes run in with the story, so I decided to use these little star-like thingys. (I'm so articulate, right?) Anyways, Here's the new chapter, waiting so patiently to be read. _Warning: It's so sweet that it may churn your stomach._

Sweat runs along his body, molding the white tank top to him like an extra layer of skin. His heart is racing; beating against his insides so hard that he thinks it may explode. The room is dark, and the only sound that can be heard besides gentle snores, is his own breathing. It sounds foreign to him somehow. Strained.

There are times, like now, when he has to reach out for her, allowing his fingers to lose themselves in purple strands, or brush a trail against bronze colored skin. And then he is surprised, because a hand as beautiful as the face he was caressing, wraps around his fingers and brings them to rest on full lips.

She kisses each of his fingertips, before bringing her eyes up to meet his own. Liquid upon steel. "What's wrong?" She shifts beneath silk white sheets, turning to get a better look at her lover's profile.

His head is bowed, red locks spilling down his bare back. His fists, large and bruised, are resting in his lap, clenched so tightly that his already pale knuckles are turning white. "It's nothing."

Yoruichi snorts, a sound not uncommon from her, and pulls him back to rest against her chest. "It's talk from fools who think they know everything, love," She kisses his forehead, just as lightly as she had kissed his fingers, before wrapping her arms around his waist. "Nothing more."

He feels the smile, pulling at the corners of his mouth. Of course she knew what was bothering him. She always knew. "You're right."

"I always am." She lays his head on his shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze before closing her eyes.

"I love you."

They sit for some time, her with her eyes open in surprise, and him staring into the darkness.

And then she smiles, once again closing her eyes as sleep begins to tug at her. "I love you to."

Yep, it's short. But it was bugging me, so I had to get it out. Oh yeah, I don't own bleach at all! This one isn't very good, and the writing's not my usual style. Still, I hope you guys enjoy it. Feel free to drop me a line, I promise that I'll reply. Well, in the famous words of Vash the Stampede, "Love and Peace!"


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